The Dragon Book
by Crimson-Strength
Summary: Had I known how deeply I was to be involved in this child's life I would have obeyed my first instinct and flown away. CloudJumper finds a small basket containing a helpless viking boy but he doesn't expect the amount of trouble the young Hiccup will get into on his adventure to find Berk and his true family, even though Hiccup stubbornly believes he can survive as a dragon. AU
1. Unfamiliar Sound

**Trying out another plot this one with the "what if" AU of "What if Hiccup was taken in the dragon Raid" however I intend to take a different approach with this. Where I've seen most AU's like this gloss over Hiccup's childhood and focus how he returns to his family and gets them to accept dragons, I want this one to really focus on Hiccup's childhood and adventures as a Human who thinks he's a dragon.**

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><p>Between the sound of the wind and the waves below, nothing could truthfully break the quiet peacefulness of arctic northern isles. These were lands no Vikings dared sail to for the cold and the mighty creatures which inhabited the rocky caves and within the massive glaciers. However in the midst of the perfect calm of the world, the silence was broken by an unfamiliar sound.<p>

Being perched on the island I spread my wings and rushed towards the sound in curiosity. It was down by the beach nestled between the rocks that I found what appeared to be a damaged basket and I peered down into it from the rock face above, affixed to it to see the creature which laid inside. The sound was like a hatchling, shrill and fierce pleading for life to give it more and let it grow, but it was not a hatchling of any known kind.

Two emerald green eyes stared back at me, silenced when I came into it's view, it had a round nose which was not at all sharp or spiked, bright pink skin like the underbelly of a worm, and just a patch of fur on its head much like a brown goat's. I growled at the sight. It was a Viking child! A human!

Had I known how deeply I was to be involved in this child's life I would have obeyed my first instinct and flown away, but the child saw the swipe of my tail and suddenly laughed. I stopped mid turn and laid down on the rock, dangling my wing talon down into the Viking child's basket cradle. It smiled at me and intrigued me to play with its hand a little longer as it wrapped its weak sticky fingers around the sharpest point of my talon without any fear.

I raised my head and gazed out at the sea, but I did not compensate for my weight and my talon slipped falling and scratching the Viking child's chin. It cried out so hurriedly I purred, lowering my face close to its and crooning softly to assure the child my intentions. I could not see any wreckage of ships near here nor any bodies washing up on shore for that is where I assumed this boy came from but realizing he was alone I became concerned. This child would required nourishment and soon, without the care of a mother he would soon perish and my instincts could not stop myself from worrying for the boy.

Then it occurred to me, I knew a family of Nadders that had been blessed with four hatchlings. I snatched up the basket in my teeth carefully and flew across the island to their nest carrying the child with forethought. Nadders were generally playful creatures, though at times vain a mother Nadder's instincts were gentle and caring so seeing her as she nuzzled her hatchlings I assumed rightly in thinking they could easily care for this child.

I waited for them to retreat into their nest which was a cave in the side of a glacier which was quite warm with dragon's fire. When they were out of sight I stealthily dropped the basket at the mouth of the cave then hastily flew off among the rocks nearby to watch them discover the Viking child I had left as a gift to them. I was terribly proud of myself knowing the child would continue to live and grow up but then it occurred to me how late it was in the day and that the Nadder's might not come out until morning. Nadder's were easily nocturnal creatures but with young I knew a mother Nadder would surely stay the night in a cave to protect her hatchlings from predators such boars, other dragons, and the cold.

Surely if the child stayed the night outside of the cave waiting for the Nadder's to leave he would be dead by morning. I couldn't let that happen! So slowly, I slinked towards the mouth of the cave and towards the basket, very carefully nudging the basket with my wing talon. Suddenly a shrill scream emanated from the basket at the start as the child cried out. I felt my heart implode as I scrambled to hide amongst the rocks, camouflaged to them.

The mother Nadder and her four hatchlings hurriedly came to the mouth of the cave to see where the sound came from and the four young hatchlings rushed to the basket and peered inside, their tails raised high as they bellowed in curiosity. Their mother followed at a slower pace and started when she came to the conclusion I had. It was as I expected, her scales fluttered, glittering turquoise in the light of evening and she crooned down into the basket.

_All's well… _I thought, then heard a squawk from above when suddenly a male Nadder with cobalt blue scales landed upon the peak where I was hiding and I dared not move. I had no doubts about the mother with her maternal instincts but I wasn't too sure about the father, Rama, he was a strong male, who had won his mate, Ári though feats of bravery. He was not however a leader, I knew this from his slow decision making exemplified by his disgusted when he laid eyes upon the child.

My fear grew until I heard the loving purr from Ári's lungs, she told her hatchlings to go into the cave and for a few minute spoke with her mate concerning the contents of the basket until finally Rama looked down. The Human boy was watching them with wide eyes and he smiled up at the blue dragon, irresistibly drawing the father Nadder to the boy. Rama drew up the basket in his mouth and with his mate at his side he carried the boy back into the cave where I did not see them again for some time.

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><p><strong>You probably guessed, it's CloudJumper's POV.<strong>

**Whoever guesses the plot inspiration of this story first gets a cookie!**


	2. Arvin Dale's Fire

Winter came and went fifteen times and I often stopped by to check on the boy as he was growing. Of all the Vikings I had seen in my life I had never seen one quite as scrawny as he or with such a peculiar name. Among the Nadders he was known as Hiccup for the sounds he made when he was a baby, but personally I referred to the boy as Víkungur, the young Viking even though he loathed me for the name.

I perched above him on the rocky face as the gangly young man no taller than a Nadder's thigh came sauntering towards the cave. His brown hair had a tint of rust in it, and his emerald green eyes were brighter than the scales on a Zippleback, but he was most identified to the other dragons by his scales. The boy had come to collect the shed scales of his brothers and sisters and he dyed them in the coals of their bright magnesium flames to turn them black and he sewed them into a scaly armor which he wore at all times.

In the basket where I had found him he was wrapped in a green wool blanket which he now wore about his wait much like the highlanders in the rolling lands to the south. They were wild men, even worse than the barbarians at times. The scaly armor covered all of his chest and under it we wore a skin tight hide both of which he seldom took off.

Hiccup had grown quite fond of the dragons on our island and he had become fairly strong for his meager size, possessing a creative mind stronger than his scanty body. The boy steered clear of Viking ships and islands as we dragons did but he had a knack of collecting human artifacts and crafting them into contraptions of his own. I remember when the boy was ten that he came across the materials to create a pair of wings which he attached to his arm for gliding and flight. I knew from our long flights over the oceans that he could do very well to sustain himself in flight with a strong wind at his back.

Looking down upon the boy from my perch I watched him as he play among the adolescent Nadders, the children of Rama and Ári as they had grown now. Hiccup crouched upon a rock overlooking the gorge a good ten meters from the mouth of the cave, he cupped his little human hands about his mouth and gave a loud call indistinguishable from the dragon's tongue which he spoke fluently. The boy did not know a word of his human tongue but his voice could not be distinguished from a dragon's, unrecognizable to a human's

Abruptly, three of the four grown hatchlings, blue, green, and brown, rushed from the general direction of the cave nest and bursting out of the brush they tackled the boy, nibbling at his neck and pinning him to the ground. Hiccup broke free and grabbed hold of the green Nadder's crown of spikes and flung himself up onto her back, jumping from her wings to the brown Nadder's back. His sister, the dull brown Nadder, threw him up into the air and off the cliff face into the gorge where he spread his wings and flew low to the river at the basin, followed by his siblings.

Once in the air, Hiccup was no faster than a mere gull, but as his sibling passed him he dived onto their backs and rode them standing up, his feet firmly planted to their scales. Despite the cold, Hiccup kept his feet bare, which he believed gave him a better grip upon the ground and the scales of any kind of dragons. It brought me so much to see how much Hiccup loved flight as a dragon did, but still, the fear never left my mind that Hiccup was indeed human, and one day he would have to return to the Viking village from whence he came.

Hiccup was under the impression he would stay with this Nadders forever and that nothing could separate him from the arctic wasteland he had come to call home. However, it was under the light of Arvin Dale's Fire that all the herds and nests in the Nordic sea traveled to the home of the King of Dragons, the great Bewilderbeast to discuss in safety the state of our homes and the protection of our young.

I myself had never taken a mate or had any young but I cared the world for Hiccup and naturally I accompanied Hiccup's Nadder family to the icy fortress where the Bewilderbeast kept sanctuary. The boy rode on the backs his mother and siblings until he saw me traveling behind them and he jumped off, gliding over to me where I allowed him to stand on my back while I flew gracefully higher into the blue light of the cold sky.

When we arrived, immediately he ran off with his siblings to meet the many other species of dragons and play with their hatchlings. The babies overpowered him by their numbers and could seldom listen to a haddock for more than a few seconds. And when I saw Hiccup had gotten himself into a little more than he could handle I flew over to him and roared at the babies to scare them off.

Hiccup, the daft boy, stared at me, a dragon of my size and strength, smiling as he called up, "Thanks CloudJumper!" then he dashed off on his merry way.

Our island some ways south of the sanctuary we were led by an old Monstrous Nightmare by the name of Akila, and he gathered the inhabitants of our island because news had spread that a titan class queen had increased her range of control over dragons further to the south and since our island was fairly south of the Alpha's nest we were warned to be wary.

However this meeting was to change the Víkungur's entire future, but the queen had a strong hate for Humans and she sent dragons to seek out and kill Vikings, stealing their food to feed herself. Even as Akila was the oldest I was well known as the next to take his place and probably more fit leader, however I did not have the desire to lead a herd at the time and I often sat on the sidelines. I was on the verge of being named a deserter because except for the care of the Víkungur I did little for the herd and many outcast me.

Akila looked down over his herd with solemnity in his growl, "the Red Death will surely kill the boy and all who try to protect him. If she learns he has become one with our herd or that he is coming of age, she will send dragons to kill him or even take control of us!" he warned gazing towards the Nadders, Zipplebacks, and other Monstrous nightmares from our island. We were not a herd of significant numbers or powerful dragon species, and including myself there might have only two or three exotic dragons who lived there.

"Now," Akila stood up tall upon the rock from which he perched, "Are we all in agreement as to what must be done?"

I watched as many of the Nightmares and Zipplebacks nodded and growled while the Nadders were torn in their decisions, but still the majority agreed.

Akila sullenly let out a small puff of smoke from his nostrils, "now it is my unpleasant duty to tell the boy's father," he declared mostly to himself as he looked over to the great flow of ice where I perched and under which, the blue Nadder was curled up with his mate beside him. "Rama!" Akila called, "Come over here, please."

Slowly the Nadder stood up and walked over to the crowd of dragons where amongst them he stared up at Akila as if he were on trial for a crime, "Yes, Akila?" I watched them with glowing eyes and growing worry for him.

"The herd has reached its decisions, the Víkungur can no longer stay on our island," Akila said dutifully and with no pride in doing so, "he must leave us at once."

Rama tensed and suddenly spread his wings, appalled by the notion, "Leave!?" he repeated shocked, "B-but the Víkungur… i-is like my own son!" he pleaded, "Surely we can protect him from any danger."

Akila despaired, "I'm sorry, there is no other way, Rama, you know even the strength of our herd is no match for the queen," Akila now grew angry but not without concern for his herd in his voice, "the boy cannot survive were he pitted against dragons!"

I immediately remembered how quickly Hiccup had been overcome by mere Scuttleclaw hatchlings and how I could easily protect him from any threat. I perked up, my crown frilling out to seem larger, "Akila," I spoke up as I jumped down from my spike of ice and walked into the center of the herd, beside Rama, "Perhaps I could be of help," I offered.

Akila looked at me quite shocked, "You CloudJumper?" he spoke in the most level tone then asked in a condescending voice, "How?" A little fear rose inside me, I knew I had little respect from these dragons, and except for my love for the boy I was sure they wish to banish me.

I sighed, "I know of a Viking village where he'll be safe, it has plentiful forests where he'd be at home, and the barbarians who hate dragons as all do, may yet accept him for his intuitive nature." The dragons all eyed me, doubting my proposal, "Hiccup and I have taken many flights in that direction, hopping across many islands together, so I'm sure he'll go with me."

At this, Rama frown, growing worried for his son as I offered to carry him off to a faraway land but Akila coldly growled, "So be it," then he roared loudly, establishing his decision firmly for no dispute. I could tell Rama was bitterly crushed as I nodded then the two of us flew off over the gorge where the great Bewilderbeast rested. We paid our respects to the great king then flew around the nest to find the boy.

The ice shone a gentle glowing blue from Arvin Dale's Fire far into the heavens. Hiccup had gotten himself caught up with the other hatchlings and I found him asleep in a bush with its leaves and a Scuttleclaw's wing over his lap like a blanket. Gradually I went to wake him but Rama stopped me, "Please, CloudJumper, if I never see him again, let me have a moment with him," he begged of me, breaking inside.

I lowered my head and backed away allowing Rama to kneel beside his sleeping son. Rama nuzzled his beak against Hiccup's neck, crooning softly and causing Hiccup to half-consciously awaken and smile, his hands reaching up and embracing the Nadder. Rama despaired in himself and looked up to me with sorrow in his eyes, "I never thought on the day you brought him to us that it would come to this? Titan Dragons are a scourge of our species and if they could be done away with once and for all maybe we could truly make peace with the Vikings."

I raised my wings powerfully flapping them once to assure Rama of my strength, "I will take good care of him until he is truly safe," I promised, "I will not let him out of my sight until I know for sure he's where he belongs."

Rama stood up to his full height—still smaller than me—and he met eyes with me firmly, "I trust you, and I thank you from the depths of my being for bring that boy into my family."

I blew a hot breath onto my brother in the herd then turned to the Víkungur and carefully drew him up out of the patch using my wings and I set him on my back. He awoke with a slight start, but yawned when he realized who it was who carried him. Hiccup sat up slowly holding onto one of my spikes on my back, "CloudJumper?" he puzzled, "it's the middle of the night…" he yawned not even noticing his father flying away to a higher perch and staring down at us with deep worry.

I croon warming his heart with the vibrations from my lungs, "It's Arvin Dale's Fire, Hiccup, why don't you and I go and enjoy it together?" he offered to coax Hiccup into leaving with me. I'd tell him soon enough where it was we were going. It broke my heart to trick the boy like this, but we had indeed talked about going out to fly through the night of Arvin Dale's Fire so now was my chance.


	3. Whispers

The bright blue fire in the sky lit the ice below us as we soared above the archipelago dotted equally with islands and icebergs. I could feel Hiccup's legs braced around my spikes and his scales scratching up against my scales allowing me to know he was awake and gazing up at the magnificent lights above us. He shook out his wild hair as it flowed behind him smiling brightly at the fantastic view but he barely noticed how quickly I was traveling south.

We flew out into the open ocean and suddenly he stood up on my back, and held onto my spines with one hand spreading the other like a wing. Hiccup suddenly gave a cry of freedom, holding onto me mostly by his feet, I could not help but join him for the thrill of flight and the wonder of Arvin Dale's Fire. Hiccup tucked down on my back tightly holding on as I picked up speed and he grabbed hold of four straps along his scales, flicking out his pair of black sail wings.

I heard the _click _of his wings locking into place and I slowed just enough for him to spring from my back and take to the sky on his own. It brought warmth to my soul so see how much Hiccup believed in his freedom but I knew the consequences of that belief. Yes, dragons thrive on the skies and could not live without them, but I had learned through adversity that one's loyalties must be more important than one's freedom.

A deserter was a dragon who believed only in freedom and had I not cared for Hiccup so deeply my lack of ties to the island would deem me a renegade and once that scent was about me I'd never be able to set foot in another's nest ever again. Deserters were lonely, dangerous, and often insane, only dragons like Skrills, Sand Wraiths, and Night Furies, they were rare for this reason and reclusive.

It wasn't long now, my actions over the past fifteen years between bringing Hiccup here and caring for him from a distance were going to lead to my banishment. I watched Hiccup fly on his own for about a half an hour for he could not fly long on his own. His arms were not built to be wings and I came up under him so he could land on my back.

Clinging to my spines he yawned again, "this was so great…" he whispered, "shouldn't we be heading back now?" he suggested.

I sighed, rumbling a low growl, "Hiccup…" I muttered, it was rare that I called him by that name so I had his full attention, "this time… we're not going back… we're already past the Sundering Wastes, and I don't intend to fly to our island."

Hiccup tensed gripping onto my scales, "but why?" he demanded worriedly.

I slowed in my flight as we neared a small rocky island with caves by the sea, "I'm taking you to a Viking village, to live with humans."

Hiccup stood up on my back, "What? for what reason in Midgard would you do that!" he shrieked.

I huffed and irritated growl, "Because not far from our home there is an island clouded in smoke and on that island lives a Queen able to take control of other dragons. But this queen hates Vikings and she'll do all she can to kill you!"

"Kill me?" Hiccup repeated dumbly right as I touched down to the hard stone. I gave Hiccup my talon to help him down and he immediately crouched to the rock moving like a young dragon for a few moments before standing up on two legs and walking with the posture of a man.

I couldn't help but wondered where the years went, once that was a child and now he was a strong, growing, young man. Nevertheless I started in search of a suitable cave to stay the night in, "You know what Vikings do, they hunt dragons and kill them, she would not allow you to grow up with that chance."

Hiccup crossed his arms stubbornly, walking at a slower pace as he followed me, "but, CloudJumper, you know I am nothing like a Viking, I am more dragon than human!" he insisted lightheartedly. It sickened me, he had no idea of the danger and he want to brush it off like something simple to overcome.

"Now that's enough!" I snapped standing over him and looking down upon his form with was tiny compared to me. It was hard for to speak firmly with the boy, I loved him, and I never wished to hurt him in the slightest. "Hiccup, you are a human, whether or not we can find a solution you need to stay were its safe for you, and your kind," I turned and trailed off again looking up I spotted a large cave opening, "there…" I indicated, "we'll stay here for the night."

Hiccup looked up to the cave appearing at first a bit overwhelmed by the height of the cave but he adopted the most determined expression I had seen him bear and I chuckled. His wings folded behind his wrists like a Nightmare's and he jumped up with a fierce grip upon the rock. When he was about halfway up the cliff side I climbed up after him, offering to assist him with a wing.

"No!" Hiccup insisted softly, "I got this…" he breathed heavily very focused on where he placed his hands in the dim light. He made it to the top shortly after I settled down comfortably but he perched at the mouth of the cave, looking over the wild ocean view.

"Víkungur!" I called to him, but he merely stared out at the water, "Víkungur!" he raised my voice to be firmer however immediately regretted it for I know such a roar would wake any nearby wild life. Typically, if dragons were friendly, and you stayed away from their nests they didn't have a problem with strangers staying one night if they left quickly, but I they weren't friendly on the other hand…

His feral eyes shot to me in an instant, "come on, get some rest," I opened up my wings to allow him to curl up in them but he didn't move so I stretched and yawned, "we've got a long journey ahead of us tomorrow."

Hiccup eyed me irritably, "I can't just leave my family, what about my mother, and father?" he stood up and faced me with the light of the moon on his back, "I am a dragon in almost every sense, I have wings, I have scales," he gestured to each, "I can even make fire!"

My eyes glowed in the darkness, "ha," I scoffed, "wings and scales or not, you don't have a tail, and you can't actually breath fire. You wouldn't last one day on your own, not with all your knowledge of us!" I made myself comfortable and closed my eyes. If I was going to fly that boy and his incessant complaining all the way to the Viking village, I would definitely need sufficient sleep, so I did my best to ignore him.

Hiccup kicked a rock over the side of the cliff and looked over to see it splash into the water below but he was surprised to find it tumbled into a hole in the ground, a black abyss which was distinctly a tunnel. It was too dark for him to see so he squinted down into the hole for he heard the distinct sound of a dragon's wings flapping quickly.

Slowly he realize it was Boulder class dragons whose wings beat quickly and he watched in awe as slowly the round shape of said type of dragon ascended towards him. The creature was covered in spikes and had rows of razor sharp teeth but that didn't scare Hiccup, he was used to being up close to dragons' teeth and he was never afraid. Very soon the dragon was level with Hiccup staring at him with empty, white orb eyes.

Hiccup frowned, and looked away from him, indicating by dragons' standards that he did not want to be bother but the dragon did not heed his warning seeing he was human and defenseless, "what… seems… to be the trouble?" he hissed how, "and just what kind of dragon… are… you?" he hovered closer to Hiccup intrigued.

Hiccup saw a spiraling tail beneath this dragon and he realized grimly this beast was a Whispering Death. "Leave me alone!" Hiccup muttering frustrated at what I had told him. Hiccup Knew that normally Whispering Deaths were pack hunters but he puzzled since they were not known to be conversationalists.

I stirred in my partial sleep enough to respond and drearily I crooned, "At this point I would, but I am not deserting you!" I insisted then fell back to sleep, "Now… please! Go to sleep Víkungur,"

The Whispering Death closed his jaws and smiled, "Víkungur? So you're… the Víkungur?" he mustered slowly with a soft laugh. He hovered over towards me amused by my tiredness, "then that… must be the infamous… CloudJumper." As he said this he set his tail down on the rock very close to Hiccup and turned back to the boy, "you should listen… boy… you should… sleep now, and in sleeping you will have the energy for tomorrow," he advised in an ill-conceived tone.

He slowly hovered down off the side of the cliff and Hiccup looked down following him with his eyes, "CloudJumper?" he whispered very nervously, worried that to panic would make the Whispering Death attack. However, Hiccup felt his eyes grow heavy and the dragon's whispering voice encouraged him to sleep. Hiccup felt fear growing inside him as he realized that the dragon's words were influencing him and it was merely waiting to strike and eat him.

I however was completely oblivious to this, "Hiccup, stop arguing with me, we'll talk in the morning!"

The Whispering Death laughed softly, watching us from very near the edge, "he won't be here in… the… morning!"

Finally I came to my senses, I recognized that voice and that indeed Whispering Deaths did not often talk to their food, but one. My eyes shot open and I whirled around to see Hiccup asleep for the most part and the Whispering Death's jaws opening wide, the hundreds of teeth spiraling inside it's mouth. "Fogàs!" I shouted springing up and flaring my wings.

I struck Fogàs the Whispering death as hard as I could with my wing but he recovered quickly and eyed me furiously. However, Fogàs' anger was slow, and he was a very patient creature, so slowly he neared me, "how… dare… you," he growled softly, "you… will pay… for interrupting my meal…"

I heard the Fogàs' whispers in my head, "Now, Fogàs you know better than to prey o-o-o-o-on the young of other dragons!" I stammered nervously for the immense amount of spikes Fogàs had.

Hiccup awoke as Fogàs' attention was no longer on him and he immediately saw the Whispering Death's tail making its slow circle-like motion. Immediately the boy got to thinking, he knew how delicate a boulder class dragon's flight was with their tiny wings and large bodies. Quickly, Hiccup ripped off the hem of his make-shirt green tunic and wrapped part of it around the end of his tail, then Hiccup tied the other half to a large rock.

Fogàs was too busy trying to hypnotize me to notice Hiccup as he pushed the small boulder off the cliff, upsetting the Whispering Death's flight pattern and immediately sending him off the cliff and straight down his tunnel tail first. Hiccup laughed hysterically knowing it would not be easy at all for Fogàs to fly with a rock tied to his tail and it would be even more difficult to get it off.

"CloudJumper!" Hiccup shrieked in his laughter, "did you see that?!" he looked over to me, but unfortunately I was out cold and completely unaware of what had just transpired. He chuckled and sat down against my side, under my lank wing, "I told you I can take care of myself," he insisted softly as he curled up under my wing comfortably.

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><p><strong>I need to expound on Hiccup's character in this a little, I want him to be really stubborn and rebellious towards CloudJumber, any suggestions? Thanks for reading, please review.<strong>


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